A history of the birds of New Zealand

Although ‘Buller’s birds’ is claimed as a great New Zealand book, the artist of the plates was a Dutchman resident in London, and the book was published there while Walter Buller was on leave from his magistrate’s position in New Zealand. Keulemans followed the traditional pattern of working from specimen skins, yet still managed to give his New Zealand birds lifelike qualities. The first edition of 1873 contained lithographs coloured by hand.

Walter Lawry Buller has long been a controversial figure because of his conviction that New Zealand’s indigenous species would inevitably be replaced by European migrants. Notoriously, he wrote that the Māori people ‘are dying out and nothing can save them. Our plan duty as good compassionate colonists, is to smooth down their dying pillow.’